It was meh, I can see Madhouse is trying to improve. There definitely were some improvements with this episode, but over all I still think the 1999 anime was better. Oh and for the love of god please change that god awful ending song already. Every time an episode finished i have to spam the stop button. Crappy scream-o music and Hunter x Hunter don't mix well...

This is the first time I can say the remake not only lived up to the manga, but actually surpassed the original anime. Sure, the background music was ridiculous while Illumi was being a creeper, but they portrayed the effects on Killua perfectly and Illumi was pretty much nailed. So happy omg. ;w; This will forever be one of my favourite (and, in a caring about the characters way, most hated) scenes. Killua was already pretty firmly set as one of my favourite characters of all time. I think he's staying there forever now.

I think I can get over the censorship if the remake keeps proving itself like this. It's just different, but that's alright. At least they're letting us see lots of blood. c':

Excellent. Personally I think this was better done than the first anime and, even though I enjoyed seeing the fight between Kurapika and Hisoka in the first series it's no big deal considering how well done the rest of the episode was. Since I've been marathoning the series it was no surprised at all that Killua said he wanted to be friends with Gon.

That was some great drama as well as setups and foreshadowing. And the sound environment was fitting though the whole episode for once, I hope at this point they understand those grand orchestral tracks destroy the mood by being so disruptive 99% of the time. The best episode so far, that was really fucking good.

i love illumi, killua and their whole fucked up family
"when you stabbed her, mom cried tears... of joy"

as for the episode though, i actually didnt find it too amazing. the heartaches of assassin lonelyboy #34 dont really affect me. a little of it is the cheerful lighting and a lot of it is the soundtrack, which i find seriously lacking. phase 1 judge being a narrator dampened the drama too.

wtf moment was finding out killua was the one disqualified, scary eyes happened there.

Though it isn't as good as the 99 version (I know you guys hate hearing it).

The main reason is Illumi's actor just isn't as intimidating. Nor is the scene directed as intensely which made it so immersive in the original. Don't get me wrong, I like how the new actor acts him out (makes him seem very strange) but he doesn't have quite the punch or creep factor for a scene like this. This was one of the best episodes in the original so I wasn't expecting it to top it.

Hmm I was kind of hoping to see the fights play out, but it's interesting that Hisoka whispered something to both Kurapika and that old man, I wonder what he could have said and if it has meaning later. And I take back my comment from last episode's thread, Hanzo's explanation about why he surrendered to Gon really did add to just how impressive Gon really is - how he has qualities that aren't just brute strength.

Big turn of events with Killua as well, his brother and Hisoka have been working together throughout the exam so I wonder if they're planning something once they become hunters.

No one gave a shit about bodoro, not the characters, not the narrator, not the viewers, funny how people felt sad for killua, he's the one who killed right? The magic of anime, makes what's wrong seem right.

Great episode ,i think that was the first great episode of hunter x hunter it was intense ,cool ,clever and overall well made with some great osts .
Especially Killua's theme which it is so heartwarming ,i can't stop listening to it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTgdsI65ZEc

sad episode. Its disturbing how a-moral the Hunter Examiners are. How could they let people like Hisoka and Illumi when they're obviously shady people that will use their Hunter bages for evil. Illumi especially since he admitted that he just wanted the hunter badge in order to assassinate someone.

Its disturbing how this show takes death and killing rather lightly as well.

Thund3r1 said:sad episode. Its disturbing how a-moral the Hunter Examiners are. How could they let people like Hisoka and Illumi when they're obviously shady people that will use their Hunter bages for evil. Illumi especially since he admitted that he just wanted the hunter badge in order to assassinate someone.

Its disturbing how this show takes death and killing rather lightly as well.

If you're one of those who take it out on the show when something 'unfair' and 'immoral' happens and nobody gets punched in the face for it, you're gonna have a bad time.

Thund3r1 said:sad episode. Its disturbing how a-moral the Hunter Examiners are. How could they let people like Hisoka and Illumi when they're obviously shady people that will use their Hunter bages for evil. Illumi especially since he admitted that he just wanted the hunter badge in order to assassinate someone.

Its disturbing how this show takes death and killing rather lightly as well.

Well, why they would let Illumi pass should be answered shortly. I'm sure you'll not like it though. I strongly disagree with the show taking death lightly, though. It's just it is an accepted risk of the Hunter Exam, these people have every opportunity to quite if they want to.

Didn't Hisoka tell Netero that one of the reasons he wants to become a hunter is to kill without facing any legal consequences? And Illumi asked if he can kill everyone in the room and keep his license lol. Damn HxH needs more of Illumi, he is awesome and reminds me of Itachi xD

''We don't know what kind of people we truly are until the moment before our deaths. As death comes to embrace you, you will realise what you are. That's what death is, don't you think?'' - Uchiha Itachi

Ferolex said:I'm confused... he can change his face with those needles... but wouldn't Killua have realised that it was his brother when he had all these pins in his body? I don't get it... I hope it's explained.

You think Killua must have already come across those pins?

Funny how the opposite sort of occurs later on, but I won't specify what I mean.

i was expecting Killua to be the one who wouldnt pass the exam but i wasnt expecting that guy to be his brother
so all the fights were skipped, after how lame the previous one was its probably for the best, anyways this arc was damn long i hope things start to improve

These episodes are definitely some of my favorite. The revelation of Killua's Brother illumi. The dark intense atmosphere and the fearful look of killua having to fight his own brother and the way illumi physiologically tortured him and forced him to give up.

Illumi in alot of ways reminds me of itachi. I wonder if that is where kishimoto drew some of his inspiration from? We all know that he cited togashi for some influence. I don't know i am just taking a wild guess.

I wonder what Hisoka whispered in Kurapica's ear?

So the part where Satotz congratulates gon, there is a few things i want to mention here; some things that were briefly changed that might come into play later. First of all when Satotz was explaining to gon bout his qualifications of a hunter, looking at ruins, clearing them out and renovating them. In the manga he mentioned that he would like gon to come visit the Kuluka's ruins. I guess they didn't think it was to important right now.

Also originally in the 1st series, Kurapica won the final stage of the exam first, but since this is following the manga more closely, they didn't include that part.

This episode was fantastic and they really captured the intensity of the situation much greater then what the manga did, thats for damn sure. Only one more episode before this arc is complete.

link9us said:Illumi in alot of ways reminds me of itachi. I wonder if that is where kishimoto drew some of his inspiration from? We all know that he cited togashi for some influence. I don't know i am just taking a wild guess.

I hadn't thought about it that way until I read this, but he does give a similar vibe to Itachi, doesn't he?

Anyway, I think it's a lot easier to be sympathetic toward Killua after this episode. He seemed like a walking paradox before, and now we know why. 'Sounds like he was basically mind raped throughout his whole childhood. He doesn't even want to be the way he is. :/

I think it's obvious why Killua killed Bodoro. If Bodoro won, which is nearly certain, who would Killua have had to fight next...? I'm not excusing the killing. It's still messed up and wrong- but I'm glad that I at least have a better perspective on Killua's character, to understand it.

I wonder how things will work out with Gon confronting Illumi like that. Or, for that matter, if Killua will keep hanging out with Gon after this. I suppose it would be harder, since Killua doesn't have a Hunter's License.